The Shoebox
by xxOnlyCaskettxx
Summary: Derek is looking through his box of memories when he comes across a book. What falls from that book will change everything he thought he knew.


**The Shoebox**

A/N: This is the 100th short story I've written. I've finally made it this far and I plan to keep writing. Thank you everyone who's been reading my stories and leaving reviews. I hope you'll continue to read them.

_"Don't forget the little moments. They're the ones that mean the most. When the moments seem so far away, take them out and hold 'em close. Take a picture with your father 'cause one day he'll be gone. Don't forget to fill an old shoebox full of things to look back on." -Chris Young_

Derek's mother always told him to remember the little moments in life. He knew he had to keep those memories in a safe place. He found the shoebox of memories in the back of his closet.

Derek pulled out the picture he had taken with his father from when he was ten. His mom took the picture of the two of them the day his father was taken from him.

_Derek was driving with his father to the park, but his father decided to make a quick stop at the convenience store near the park. They were inside for five minutes when a man went up to the counter and pulled out a gun. He was telling the cashier to give him all of the money and he was pointing his gun from the cashier to the bag, repeatedly._

_Everyone in the convenience store froze in place. Derek's father told him to stay behind one of the shelves. Derek turned around and watched as his father un-holstered his gun from his ankle. He'd always keep a spare gun on him, just in case. Derek moved to the other side of the shelf to watch what was happening._

_His father was trying to talk down the robber, but the man wasn't standing down. Suddenly, the man shot Derek's father and ran from the convenience store. Derek ran over to his father, but he was already unconscious. He didn't know what happened after that._

_The next thing he remembered, his mother was picking him up from the police station after he had been asked to tell what he had witnessed. Later on, he learned that the man who had robbed the store had shot himself shortly after he ran from the convenience store._

Derek put the picture back in the box. Remembering that day always put tears in his eyes. He had witnessed his father's death. His mom had told him later that day that his father wouldn't be coming back home.

Derek looked in the box and pulled out a book, Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. It was his old copy from when he was a teenager.

_Derek sat on the plane after the case, playing cards with Reid. Emily walked by and dropped a book on the table, Mother Night. "Whoops," Emily muttered when she "accidentally" dropped the book. Derek looked at the title of the book and said, "Wait a minute. No you didn't. Where did you find this?"  
>"In the airport, can you believe it? I haven't read this in fif- like twelve years." Emily said, catching herself. "Okay, that's funny. Chapter three is where it starts to get good."<br>"Okay, I will let you know when I get there."  
>"Alright, you do that." Morgan watched as Emily walked over to a seat and began reading. Morgan laughed and looked up to see Reid with a sly smile on his face.<em>

_"What? You think you're the only person who reads books?"  
>"No, but uh... you never want to talk to me about books." Reid said suspiciously. "You think I'm sending her the wrong message?" Reid lowered his voice and said, "I have noticed you guys sitting next to each other at the round table and her hanging around at your desk. If I'm noticing this stuff it must be pretty darn obvious, right?" Morgan couldn't help but laugh at that. "Okay, wow. Well, normally kid, I'd say you got a really good point right there, but trust me, Emily Prentiss is not the kind of girl that's interested in Derek Morgan."<br>"What kind of girl isn't interested in Derek Morgan?" Reid exclaimed._

_"The kind of girl that is way too smart to think she can change my ways. Everybody knows I'm not ready to get serious."  
>"Maybe you're more ready than you realize?"<br>"Dr. Reid, are you really trying to school me on females right now?"  
>"My mother says girls can sense when men are changing. When you're ready, certain types of girls, if it's the right type of girl, will find you. It's only when you're ready though."<em>

Maybe Reid had a point. Derek didn't really give Reid that much credit, but a lot of times his smarts were really helpful. That conversation really opened Derek's eyes.

Derek saw something in the bottom of the shoebox. He always tried to avoid this item. It hurt to look at and it hurt even more to remember where it came from. It was a single petal from a long-stemmed red rose.

_The rose. The rose he had placed on Emily's casket at her funeral. The casket that he had no idea was empty. The funeral that was a lie._

_They had just caught Doyle and Hotch announced that he had something he needed to tell everyone.  
>"Seven months ago, I made a decision that affected this team. As you all know, Emily lost a lot of blood after her fight with Doyle, but the doctors were able to stabilize her. She was airlifted from Boston, under covert exploitation. Her identity was strictly was reassigned to Paris where she was given several identities which we had access to, for her security."<br>"She's alive?" Garcia asked, her eyes tearing up at the thought. "But we buried her." Reid stated, trying to tell himself that this was impossible.  
>"As I said, I take full responsibility for the decision. If anyone has any issues, they should be directed toward me." Hotch stated. "Any issues? Yeah, I have issues." Derek yelled.<em>

_Everyone was quiet when they heard heels clicking against the floor. Everyone looked up to see Emily at the door. "I am so sorry. I really am," Emily said, hugging Reid and Garcia. "Not a day went by that I didn't want to-" Emily looked up and saw the hurt expression on Morgan's face. She walked over to him. "Really I. You didn't deserve that and I'm so sorry." Emily said, and hugged Derek._

The petal was dried up and dead. It had been almost two years since Emily had faked her death and returned to the team.

He picked up a copy of Slaughter-House Five from the box and was brought back to his birthday a few moths before. Emily had given him an original copy of the book. It was one of the best birthdays he'd ever had. Everyone he loved was there and he couldn't have asked for anything more.

He flipped through the pages when a piece of paper fell from the book. Derek unfolded the letter and noticed that it was worn. A lot of thought was put into the letter. He could see the spots where words were crossed out multiple times or erased and written over again. The letter read:

_Dear Derek,_

_I know I shouldn't be saying this in a letter. Heck, I shouldn't be saying this at all. This could break the rules, cross boundaries that should never be crossed. But if I don't write this, I'll regret it because I almost lost my chance once before. Derek, I love you. I've loved you for so long that I don't even remember when these feelings started. You mean so much to me and I hope me saying this doesn't make anything weird between us or ruin our friendship, because that's something I truly value._

_ Love Emily_

__Derek quickly folded up the letter and put it in his pocket. He grabbed his keys and rushed to his car. He drove until he was parked in front of her building. The whole drive there, her words ran through his mind.

He got out of his car and ran up the stairs to her door. The elevator would have taken far too long. He knocked on her door and she opened it, letting him inside. He took the letter from his pocket and held it up. Emily took it from his hand and opened it. She looked at him shocked. "So, you found it. I forgot I wrote this."

Derek just looked at her. They were still standing by the door. Emily looked at him confused because he wasn't saying anything.

Suddenly, Derek moved forward and slammed Emily up against the door. He kissed her and put every emotion he was feeling into the kiss: love, passion, shock, confusion. He pulled back and Emily stood in shock. She dropped the letter on the floor and wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled and kissed him back with just as much feeling.


End file.
